Paper bag



Oct. 24, 1967 c. E. JOHNSON PAPER BAG Filed Aug. 26, 1966 lll a ,llkalmll l lllllllllllllllli lllll l l United States Patent Oil ice 3,348,759 Patented Oct. 24, 1967 3,348,759 PAPER BAG Carl E. Johnson, 1540 Easton Ave., Bethlehem, Pa. 18017 Filed Aug. 26, 1966, Ser. No. 575,413 4 Claims. (Cl. 229-53) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The bag is provided with a viewing opening in one panel which allows the display of a cash register receipt to indicate to the store personnel that the purchaser has paid for the items in the bag. The bag is provided with self-sealing adhesive on the inner faces of the front and rear panels to allow the fast and secure sealing of the bag after the cash register tape has been inserted in the Viewing opening and securely retains the receipt in position as well as keeping the bag closed without use of staples, clips -or the like.

The present invention relates to a new and novel paper bag, and more particularly'to a paper bag which is selfsealing and which includes means for holding and displaying a cash register tape.

The lbag of the present invention is especially adapted for use in large department stores and the like wherein check-out counters are provided whereat a clerk registers on the cash register the amount of the items purchased and the customer pays for the total purchase at such time. In this type of check-out system, clerks are not necessarily provided at the individual counters throughout the store.

In the arrangement presently employed in those situations, the amount of the purchase is usually rung up on the cash register by one clerk, while a second clerk places the items into the bag. This second clerk then usually folds the top of the bag and staples it several times across the top of the bag and the cash register tape is stapled to the top of the bag so that it is visible to employees throughout the store and at the doors of the store.

The purpose of this arrangement is to prevent unsernpulous customers from adding items to the bag after it has been paid for in any particular department within the store or in any particular store within a shopping center. Accordingly, a person cannot go from store to store adding items surreptitiously to bags of items which have already been paid for.

With the arrangement of the present invention, the upper end of the bag can be readily sealed by applying pressure thereto, thereby enabling a single clerk not only to lill the bag, but to readily also seal the bag without the necessity of providing additional means such as a staple gun and staples for sealing the bag.

The bag of the present invention additionally includes means for displaying the cash register tape so that it will be readily visible to personnel throughout the store. This display means is of such a constr-uction that it enables the cash register tape to be readily inserted in operative position with a minimum of effort on the part of the clerk.

With this simplied procedural arrangement, a single clerk can readily fill the bag, attach the cash register tape, and seal the bag with a minimum -of effort so that a single clerk can effectively perform the functions which have heretofore required the services of two different clerks, thereby resulting in considerable savings.

A special advantage of the present invention is the fact that the construction of the rral bag may be obtained by modifying present bag constructions so that it is not necessary to completely alter the bag arrangements of the prior art. When the bag has been finally sealed, it is necessary to destroy the bag to get at the cash register tape or the contents of the bag, thereby preventing a customer from tampering with the bag after it has been sealed. The invention bag thereby enables a store to be operated with a check-out system which is substantially theft-proof.

An object of the present invention is to provide a new and novel paper bag which is self-sealing and which eliminates the necessity of providing supplementary means such as staple guns and the like for sealing the bag.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a paper bag including means for displaying a cash register tape so that it will be readily visible to all personnel in the store.

A further object of the invention is to provide a bag which permits a cash register tape to be readily inserted and the bag subsequently sealed so that Va single clerk may effectively perform the functions heretofore performed by two different clerks.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of a paper bag which can be formed by modification of present bag constructions, and wherein it is necessary to destroy the sealed bag to get at either the cash register tape or the contents thereof to provide a theft-proof arrangement.

Other objects and many attendant advantages of the invention will become more apparent when considered in connection with the specification and accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. l is a top perspective view of the bag of the present invention illustrating a step in the initial sealing of the bag;

FIG. 2 illustrates a further step in utilizing the bag wherein the cash register tape is being inserted in operativ-e position;

FIG. 3 illustrates the finally sealed bag;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially along line 4-4 of FIG. 3 looking in the direction of the arrows; and

FIG. 5 illustrates the bag blank prior to assembling the bag.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the bag blank is indicated generally by reference numeral 10 in FIG. 5 of the drawings, and includes a front panel 12 and a rear panel defined by two portions 14 and 16 adapted to be adhesively secured to one another along the outer edges 14 and 16 thereof respectively.

A rst side panel 18 is joined with the back panel portion 14 by a fold line 20 and with the front panel 12 by a fold line 22. A fold line 24 extends longitudinally along the medial portion of side panel 18. A side panel 26 is connected with the front panel 12 by a fold line 28 and with the back panel portion 16 by a fold line 30. A longitudinally extending fold line 32 extends along the medial Aportion of the side panel 26.

A suitable pressure sensitive adhesive means indicated generally by reference numeral 40 is disposed on the inner surface of the upper part of back panel portion 14. This adhesive means extends from a point closely adjacent the upper panel edge 42 of side panel 18 to the upper edge 44 of the rear panel portion 14. A similar body of pressure sensitive adhesive means 46 is disposed at the upper part of the rear panel portion 16, this adhesive means extending from a point closely adjacent the upper edge 48 of side panel 26 to the upper edge 50 of the rear panel portion 16.

A generally oblong cutout 60 is formed in the upper part of front panel 12, and a pair of downwardly and outwardly flaring slits 62 and 64 extend from cutout 60, these slits defining therebetween a flap indicated generally by reference numeral 66.

A pressure sensitive adhesive means indicated by reference numeral 70 is disposed on the inner surface of the front panel 12 from a point closely adjacent the upper edges 42 and 48 of the side panels 18 and 26 respectively to the upper edge 72 of the front panel. It will be noted that the inner surface of the flap 66 has the adhesive means disposed thereon, but the portions 74 nad 76 of the inner surface of the front panel which extend laterally from the ap 76 at opposite sides thereof and which are also lateral of the lower portion of the cutout are .free of the adhesive means.

When the blank is initially folded to form the bag, it will be understood that the rear panel portions 14 and 16 are adhesively secured to one another along the edge portions 14 and 16 respectively, and that the bag is provided with the conventional bottom construction. The side panels 18 and 26 are folded along the fold lines 24 and 32 thereof to enable the bag to be folded at, andthe upper parts of the front and rear panels which have the adhesive substance disposed thereon are folded downwardly inside the bag.

When it is desiredto use the bag, the clerk opens the bag and pulls up the upper portions of the front and rear panels and then inserts the desired items into the bag. After this has been done, the clerk then slides his hands up the sides of the upper portions of the front and rear panels as illustrated in FIG. 1 of the drawing so as to adhesively secure the lower parts of these upper portions of the front and rear panels to one another at the inner surfaces thereof. When the clerk gets to the point where the non-adhesive portions 74 and 76 are opposite his fingers, he will stop such upward movement and then fold the `upper part of the front panels outwards' as indicated in FIG. 2 while the ap portion 66 has been adhesively secured to the rear panel as indicated by the arrows in FIG.` 1 which illustrate the direction of movement of the clerks fingers, this flap being adhesively secured separately from the pressing of the side edges of the front and rear panels together as shown in FIG. 1.

The next step is to insert a piece of cash register tape indicated generally by reference numeral 80 in FIG. 2 into operative position. This is done by sliding the cash register tape between therfront and rear panels so that it slides into the slits 62 and 64. It is apparent that the ap and slits cooperate to guide the tape into operative position and to receive and limit the movement of the tape and will hold the tape in such operative position. After the tape has been slipped into the slits 62 and 64 in overlying relation to ap 66, the clerk continues to move his fingers upwardly so as to seal the bag by adhesively securing the uppermost portions of the front and rear panels to one another along the inner surfaces thereof.

In the final position as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, the upper end of the bag is completely sealed and the cash register tape is sealed into the operative position shown. The cash register tape will be readily visible through the cutout 60 provided in the front panel.

It is apparent from the foregoing that there is provided` according to the present invention a new and novel paper bag which is self-sealing and which requires no additional means to seal the bag such as a staple gun or the like. The cutout provided in the front panel provides a means for readily observing the cash register tape disposed therewithin. The construction is such that the cash register tape may be readily inserted into operative positionand the upper end of the bag sealed so that a single clerk may perform in a simple and efiicacious manner the functions formerly performed by two separate clerks. The bag construction of the present invention may be obtained by modifying present bag constructions, and when the bag is finally sealed, it is necessary to destroy the bag in order to get at either the cash register tape or the contents of the bag, thereby providing a substantially theft-proof arrangement when employed in check-out operations in a large store.

As this invention may be embodied in several forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof, the present embodiment is therefore illustrative and not restrictive, since the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims, all changes that fall within the metes and bounds of the claims or that form their functional as well as conjointly cooperative equivalents are therefore intended to be embraced by those claims.

I claim:

1. A bag formed of flexible material defining a front panel, a rear panel, and a pair of side panels connecting the side edges of said front and rear panels, said front and rear panels including upper edges, said side panels each including an upper edge, the upper edges of said side panels being spaced a substantial distance below the upper edges of said front and rear panels, pressure sensitive adhesive means disposed on the upper portions of the inner surfaces of said front and rear panels and extending from a point closely adjacent the upper edges of said side panels to a point closely adjacent the upper edges of said front and rear panels for securing such upper portions of the front and rear panels to one another, said front panel having a cutout formed `therein for displaying a cash register tape, and ap means `of said flap are free of said pressure sensitive adhesive means.

3.\Bag as dened in claim 1, wherein said slits are spaced a substantial distance from one another and extend downwardly from and flare outwardly from said cutout.

4. Bag as dened in claim 2, wherein said areas on the inner surface of said front panel free of adhesive means also are disposed laterally of the lower portion of the cutout.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,931,762 10/ 1933 Huffman 229--76 2,265,411 12/1941 Wolf.

FOREIGN PATENTS 634,488 1/1962 Canada. 825,159 12/1959 Great Britain.

JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner. DAVID M. BOCKENEK, Examiner. 

1. A BAG FORMED OF FLEXIBLE MATERIAL DEFINING A FRONT PANEL, A REAR PANEL, AND A PAIR OF SIDE PANELS CONNECTING THE SIDE EDGES OF SAID FRONT AND REAR PANELS, SAID FRONT AND REAR PANELS INCLUDING UPPER EDGES, SAID SIDE PANELS EACH INCLUDING AN UPPER EDGE, THE UPPER EDGES OF SAID SIDE PANELS BEING SPACED A SUBSTANTIAL DISTANCE BELOW THE UPPER EDGES OF SAID FRONT AND REAR PANELS, PRESSURE SENSITIVE ADHESIVE MEANS DISPOSED ON THE UPPER PORTIONS OF THE INNER SURFACES OF SAID FRONT AND REAR PANELS AND EXTENDING FORM A POINT CLOSELY ADJACENT THE UPPER EDGES OF SAID SIDE PANELS TO A POINT CLOSELY ADJACENT THE UPPER EDGES OF SAID FRONT AND REAR PANELS FOR SECURING SUCH UPPER PORTIONS OF THE FRONT AND REAR PANELS TO ONE ANOTHER, SAID FORNT PANEL HAVING A CUTOUT FORMED THEREIN FOR DISPLAYING A CASH REGISTER TAPE, AND FLAP MEANS FORMED ADJACENT THE LOWER PART OF SAID CUTOUT, SAID FLAP BEING DEFINED BY A PAIR OF SLITS FORMED IN SAID FRONT PANEL FOR RECEIVING SUCH CASH REGISTER TAPE TO LIMIT THE MOVEMENT THEREOF AND TO HOLD IT IN POSITION UNTIL THE FRONT AND REAR PANELS ARE ADHESIVELY SECURED TO ONE ANOTHER SO AS TO SEAL THE UPPER END OF THE BAG AND THE CASH REGISTER TAPE. 